News

Volunteers sought to scrutinize police complaints

Volunteers with an inquiring mind and analytical skills are being sought to scrutinise the Dyfed-Powys Police complaints process.

The successful candidates will form a panel being created to examine public complaint files and to recommend improvements to the force’s system.

Dyfed-Powys Police receive around 700 complaints every year on matters such as neglect of duty, oppressive conduct, incivility and lack of fairness.

From October–December last year, 203 complaints were received – 46 in Carmarthenshire, 38 in Ceredigion, 25 in Pembrokeshire, 48 in Powys and 46 at force HQ.

The Residents’ Panel, being created by Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon, will consider a number of files four times a year.

Mr Salmon said: “The people of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys must trust the police; one way of building that trust is for the public themselves to scrutinise the complaints process.

“The volunteers I seek will be enthusiastic about improving policing. They will have communication skills, will be able to interpret detailed information and will have experience of reviewing or developing services, and evaluating performance.”

Panel members will be over 18, preferably living in Dyfed-Powys and must not be, or have been, on a police force payroll. After training, they will review randomly selected police complaint files and will consider whether, in their view, complaints were dealt with fairly.